bLISTerd: The Top 10 Musicians We’d Most Like To See Resurrected In Hologram Form

So, this whole Tupac appearing-at-Coachella-in-hologram-form has ruffled some feathers. It’s also intrigued quite a few folks, and made people wonder about the possibility of other deceased artists appearing in such form in the future. It certainly got us Popblerdians thinking. So: in half-serious spirit, we put our heads together, sat around the table, and debated who, out of the many, many fantastic musicians who have left us, would we most like to see resurrected in hologram form. This would purely be for selfish reasons, as obviously there’s nothing a corpse can offer artistically, but wouldn’t it be a kick in the head to see some of these legends perform their hits one last time??

10. Amy Winehouse

Straight up…..I just plain miss Amy Winehouse. I miss her honesty. I miss her soulful, soul-fueled voice. I miss her style. I miss her totally unabashed, “I’m not gonna be your cute- homemade-cookie cutter-perfect little pop star” attitude. I miss it all, and I hate the fact that she left so soon, depriving me (and us!) The enjoyment of watching her grow as a woman and an artist. Add up all of these variables and the only viable solution is…..Hologram Amy!

While obviously there is nothing like the real thing, Holo-Amy would fill a void left by her passing and would allow just one last chance to see Ms. Winehouse do her thing. I’m all for it….someone get on it!-Chuck

9. Bob Marley

Bob Marley is one of those artists who has become infinitely more popular in death than in life. While a ’70s era Bob show would have likely included a bunch of dreads, some progressive soul heads and future rock-crit types/arty folks, a 2012 Bob show would be infested by sandal-wearing, barrel-chested bros (in addition to versions of the archetypes listed above, albeit in more frustrated form because the bros keep singing off key and spilling beer on them.) There would be the very pleasant smell of ganja in the air, and…hell, if we’re gonna bring Bob back, why not make it an all day festival? We can bring Peter Tosh back and have a reunion of the original Wailers. All of Bob’s children can serve as support, Lauryn Hill can perform with them even. However, the key of the whole show would be a positively electric performance by the man who brought reggae music to a national audience. In the end, the bros would hug everyone, Lauryn and Wyclef would reunite on stage and promise a new Fugees album, and holographic Bob would beam from his perch on stage, having brought good vibes to an American audience one more time. Big Money

8. Nirvana (Kurt Cobain)

Just picture it. You’re at (insert favorite music festival here) – psyched to see your favorite bands, and eager to ‘discover’ a few new ones….taking in the sights, basking in the perfectness of the day. Then you hear it. The twanging of the all too familiar opening….ahhhh “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” You think to yourself, “Yes! Foo Fighters!!!” The curtain draws open and you see Dave Grohl….only, he’s on the drums, not what you were expecting. As your brain begins recalculating and processing the scene…..wait for it….wait for it….Bam! There he is….Hologram Kurt! Crowd erupts in pleasure, minds properly blown….the night is a success!

Of course, this is precisely the sort of thing that Kurt Cobain would loathe and bemoan as ridiculous, against all that he held sacred…..but hey- this is my fantasy and he has no say in the matter! Bring on Hologram Kurt!-Chuck

7. Queen (Freddie Mercury)

Look, let’s face facts: Freddie Mercury is either the best rock frontman of all time, or one of the best rock frontmen of all time. (Third option: You’re wrong.) Who can fill those shoes? Certainly not Queen’s replacement singer Paul Rodgers, or rumored collaborator Adam Lambert, or even luminaries like George Michael and David Bowie who’ve done one-offs with the remaining three gents at Queen’s core. No, the only solution for a Queen reunion is hologrammed Freddie. Toss the living 3/4 of Queen members on stage, project a Mercury hologram – in all his mustachioed, tight-pantsed, microphone-stand-hoisting glory – out front, and let the hits ride all night long. I mean, come on, they’re not really writing new music these days anyhow. – Drew

6. The Notorious B.I.G.

We were robbed by not having the chance to see any songs from the Life After Death album performed live. Granted, if there had been a tour behind it, B.I.G. would have probably had to play second fiddle to Puff on the No Way Out road show. And let’s face facts, Sean Combs was more annoyance than legit sideman. We’d also have had to put up with sets from the likes of Ma$e and Total. So, seeing as this is my fantasy, here’s what I propose. A B.I.G./Jay-Z double bill, with (short) guest appearances from Junior M.A.F.I.A. and the Bad Boy family. Maybe we bring Charli Baltimore out for the first-ever live performance of ill-fated supergroup The Commission? Whatever it takes to hear Biggie rock “Hypnotize” and “Kick In The Door” for a live crowd. Bring along the 2Pac hologram for some real history-making! Why does something tell me that either Puff or Jay is already trying to figure out how to make this work? -Big Money

5. Elvis Presley

Elvis was a hero to most, but by the 1970s, his artistic integrity was increasingly put into question. The fat Elvis years were all about excess and spectacle. Graceland, the jumpsuits, the sequins, the sandwiches. If we accept that the final phases of Elvis’ career centered on artifice (housed in a city built on artifice), fat Elvis seems a prime candidate for holographic resurrection. In fact, I would campaign against hologram Elvis touring, instead opting for a Vegas residency. Old Vegas at that. The cafe could serve fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches, while the hotel’s honeymoon suite replicates the King’s Graceland boudoir. A hologram of burnin’ love!-Dr. Gonzo

4. Ol’ Dirty Bastard

Part of the reason that the Tupac holograph worked so well was that Pac himself was such a distinctive and dynamic presence on the stage. As a chiefly visual medium, the best candidates for a similar resurrection are those whose performances were as visually dynamic as they were sonically stimulating. With that in mind, I can’t think of a better artist for the holographic treatment than Old Dirty Bastard of the Wu-Tang Clan. From his wild hair to his manic on-stage energy to his distinct “drunken style” flow, Dirt McGirt’s performances were unique and engaging, the stand-out spark plug of one of the most talented hip hop collaborations of all time, not to mention a dynamic solo presence taken far too soon from the hip-hop scene. Don’t believe me? Check his video for “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” or his verse in “Da Mystery of Chessboxin”. Can you imagine a Wu reunion with a holographic ODB? I sure as hell can, and it’s one exciting prospect.-Stephen

3. Marvin Gaye

If I was to envision a Marvin Gaye hologram performance, here’s how I’d see it:

Lionel Richie introduces Diana Ross to come to center stage.

She starts to sing, “Since you’ve been away/I’ve been down and lonely.” Cut to the hologram of Marvin Gaye in his bright red suit walking on stage.

Diana sings again, “Since you’ve been away/I’ve been thinking of you/Trying to understand/The reason you left me/What were you going through?” Hologram Marvin faces Diana while she sings, “I’m missing you/Tell me why the road turns”

She looks at hologram Marvin and she fades away.

Hologram Marvin starts to sing the first verse to Got To Give It Up. “I used to go out to parties …”

After he finishes the song, he says out to the crowd, “It’s starting to get warm in here. I just want to get comfortable.” And then the takes off his jacket and tie and unbuttons his shirt down to his navel.

He starts the thrust out his pelvis and grind his hips and he starts to sweat. “I’ve been really tryin’, baby/Tryin’ to hold back this feeling for so long.”

After he finishes Let’s Get It On, he buttons up his shirt, puts his tie back on and introduces the hologram version of Tammi Terrell and they go into a five minute version of Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, You’re All I Need To Get By, and Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing.

He gives Tammi a hug and she leaves. He takes a deep breath, opens his arms wide and starts to sing, “Mother, mother/There’s too many of you crying.” He invites Diana and Lionel back to the stage and they all sing What’s Going On together. -GG

2. The Beatles (votes for John Lennon and George Harrison were included)

To paraphrase a great man who once argued that Freddie Mercury should be resurrected hologrammatically, The Beatles are either: 1. The greatest thing to happen to music ever, 2. One of the greatest things to happen to music ever, or 3. You’re incorrect. As such, a full-scale Beatles reunion would be the tour of the century for people who enjoy, you know, music, but the conundrum remains: John and George are, sadly, departed. Think about it, then: Paul and Ringo gleefully rock out alongside their former stage-mates, enthusiastically running through their decade of hits, John and George’s hologrammed bodies inhabiting each iconic visual Fab Four image through the sheer genius of technology, perhaps even pitch-shifted to accommodate Paul’s aging vocals. Face it: It would be glorious, and you’d want to be there, and bring those lousy kids of yours that keep insisting that Ke$ha is the voice of her generation. Let’s see Ke$ha pull off “Dear Prudence”. Yeah, you, Ke$ha, you homeless, glittery… where was I? Ah, hologram Beatles reunion. Yeah, that’d be sweet. – Drew

1. Michael Jackson

On June 25th, 2009, we were robbed off the talents of one of the greatest performers to ever grace a stage. American fans, in particular, had extra reason to mourn, as Michael Jackson had not toured the U.S. since 1989. Having been 12 when my favorite musician of all time decided to put the kibosh on any more American tours, I can’t say there’s much I wouldn’t do for the chance to see MJ glide across the stage one last time–even if it was a holographic Mike doing the moonwalking. Fact is, hologram MJ could probably put on a better show than 75% of real, living 3-D artists could right now. Folks out there pay $100 to see Britney? Hologram MJ could pull in at least $250, right? And maybe the money generated could convince his brothers not to do any more ill-advised reunion tours.-Big Money